Shards Of Memory
by portiathestylist
Summary: Dill's adventures throughout his life, both in fantasy and not.  One-shot.


Around September 1934 I leave to live with my Great-Uncle Robert in St. Louis. He lets me call him Uncle Bob. I have to go to school now, and sure's not I wish I was back in Maycomb.

Around September 1936 I go to live with Grandpa Henry and Grandma Elizabeth, my ma's parents. They live in Tenessee. The school there's not great, they're still tryin' to teach the kids my age how to read.

Around April 1937 my new pa gets angry. He locks me in the basement, but a nice farmer pities me, and pushes peas through the vent so I'll have food.

Around January 1935 I find my pa. He's tall, taller than Atticus, and he has a pointed black beard. He's the president of the L & N Railroad. He lets me spend some time working with the engineer, and the engineer turns out to be hunting down the gold like I am. We decide to work together.

Around May 1934 I go from Aunt Bertha's to Aunt Rachel's. Aunt Rachel lives just over in Maycomb, so it's not that far away. I meet Jem and Scout Finch, and they're real nice to a kid like me. They ask about my pa and I tell 'em I ain't got one.

Around July 1937 I run away from Aunt Bertha. I guess is this is why my parents never wanted me, 'cause I make too many big decisions on my own. After payin' for a bus ride back to Maycomb, I ain't got no money. I won't take the bus driver's money for dinner, though. I ain't got no pa to pay him back, either.

Around October 1936 I get a new pa. He lives in Florida and says he and I will build a boat and sail it to Lousiana.

Around September 1934 I go adventuring. I'm on a quest to find a secret stash of gold hidden by a notorious murderer who buried it before he was hanged. A trail of clues lead me to St. Louis. I think the next clue may be hidden in the school, but to get it I have to go and pretend I'm a schoolchild so they'll let me in.

Around October 1943 Aunt Rachel has taken me in again, and I've proven a help to her. Jem and Scout are glad I'm stayin' for good, and frankly I am too.

Around June 1937 Aunt Bertha says Atticus is a traitor to his own race, and worse. I get mighty noble and defend the pa of the girl I'm gonna marry. I say he ain't what she said, and Aunt Bertha spanks me. She don't know anythin'.

Around December 1936 I get in a knife fight with a robber tryin' to rob some o' the gold I found last year in St. Louis. It was real rough, and he gave me a black eye and a gruesome scar on my right arm. I got the better of him; I'm a real fighter but I let Scout win 'cause she's the girl I'm gonna marry.

Around June 1934 I learn about Boo. He's sure crazy; he'd tear you up as soon as look at you. Mostly he eats cats and squirrels, though. I dare Jem to see if he can make Boo come out of his house, but I can see he's mighty scared. I tell him if he just touches Radley Place I won't say he backed out on a dare.

Around July 1946 I propose to Scout, for real. Atticus said yes back in May, and Scout mirrors his response. I've still been afraid she fell for another guy. We're to get married in a years' time.

Around December 1943 I see an embroidery that Grandma's makin'. It says, "Home is where the heart is." It gets me thinkin' things, real important ones. And I wonder: Why does Grandma say this is my home, when my heart's still in Maycomb and has been ever since I met Scout?

Around May 1935 I leave Uncle Bob's for Maycomb. Gettin' on the bus there I see a pair o' twins stuck together get on a train, but when I tell Jem and Scout they don't

believe me.

Around July 1943 I run away again, back to Maycomb. I miss Jem and Scout, more than ever. I find them around town, and they're surprised. We sit and talk about the summers, and we have some real good laughs.

Around February 1945 Jem volunteers for the army. He says he's gonna get trained up real good, and fight of villains like the Germans in the Second World War. Jem promises to be back for Scout's and my wedding, only half joking.

Around August 1943 Scout asks me if I really meant it when I said I'd marry her, back when I was seven. I tell her yes, and I still do mean it. She smiles and tells me mischeviously that if I'd said anything else she'd've beat me up real good, 'till I said yes.

Around July 1937 I break out of the basement and wander around 'till I find a bus that goes to Maycomb. I get on, payin' with the little pocket money I've saved up. I have to get to Maycomb!

Around December 1936 I get a poundin' from the kids at school; I'm too smart for them, though bein' smarter than Tenessee kids don't mean much. They beat me real good. I get a black eye and a few bruises, plus a scar I got from fallin' on a sharp rock – that'll look real tough when I go back to Maycomb.

Around September 1940 I ain't allowed to go live with Aunt Rachel anymore. She's gettin' old, and I'm too grown up for her to handle, or so she says. Maybe she just doesn't want me around, or the other Maycomb ladies don't want me, or somethin'. I know how Maycomb works now; you gotta act like the rest of the county wants you to, or you'll be outcasted.

Around July 1947 Scout and I get married. She's still the most beautiful girl, but she's finally wearing a dress. Jem's there, and we talk about the 1930s, when we were kids. We were so innocent, yet so blind. I wish the whole town, the whole world could go back to the days of childhood, where only right and fair determined the course of the world.

Around April 1937 I'm living with my horrible Aunt Bertha in Calhoun County, right next to Maycomb. Sadly, she hates me and won't let me spend the summer there, with Jem and Scout. Oh, how I miss them. Write me, Scout, my future wife!

Around April 1935 the engineer and I find our gold. It's much more than we were expectin', and we split it even 'cause it's fair that way. I hide it in an abandoned courthouse.

Around July 1943 I've been on my own for a while, lost. I've been defendin' counties across the South from all sorts o' villains. I've been wandering, and I've wandered my way back to Maycomb. Scout's older now, but then, so am I. Lord, I wanna marry her.


End file.
